Letter from the editor:

Each year, the Studio Museum in Harlem selects a promising group of teens to join itsExpanding the Walls program, a residency geared towards mentoring young photographers. Doing studio visits with the budding artists was always a highlight when I was a curatorial fellow at the museum, and this year I’m similarly looking forward to spending some time with the work produced by the latest class, all amid the challenges of quarantine. Our staff writer Valentina Di Liscia rounds up some of their “stirring reflections on themes of home, solitude, and safety.”

Further downtown, fellow staffer Hakim Bishara reports on the latest developments at the Tenement Museum: following the institution’s decision to abruptly lay off 76 workers in late July, members of the museum’s union have filed a complaint alleging unfair labor practices. Read the full story here. In other labor news, the Metropolitan Museum has received a major gift from philanthropist Adrienne Arsht, which will (finally) put an end to its practice of offering unpaid internships (in addition to select, paid opportunities). Hakim also shares word of a surprisingly convincing parody website mounted by the group Artists for Workers. This time they’ve set their sights on the Guggenheim, in an attempt to pressure the museum into addressing major wage gaps and other uneven standards along racial lines. 

Looking for some outdoor activities? The Bushwick-based performance series region(es) returns with its second annual edition this week. Focused on artists from Latin America and the Caribbean, the program will feature outdoor screenings and socially distanced DJ sets in Maria Hernandez Park. More on that here. 

Stay safe, 

Photographs by NYC Teens Reflect on Home and Solitude During Pandemic

The young photographers in the Studio Museum’s Expanding the Walls residency will debut their new works in an online show coinciding with the program’s 20th anniversary.

Valentina Di Liscia

News

With a Convincing Parody Website, Artist Group Calls Out Pay Inequity at Guggenheim

The group Artists for Workers mimicked the visual language of the Guggenheim’s official website to pressure the museum “to improve material conditions for workers and build solidarity among artists and arts workers.”

Metropolitan Museum Will Now Pay All Interns

A $5 million gift from philanthropist Adrienne Arsht will be used to pay future interns at the NYC museum.

Columbia University Asks Professors to “Reconsider” Their Choice to Teach Online, Prompting Backlash

In an e-mail sent to staff, the executive vice president of Columbia’s School of Arts and Sciences asked professors to help the school mount “a more robust offering of in-person or hybrid courses” this fall.

American Museum of Natural History Will Reverse Pay-what-you-wish Admission Upon Reopening

Pending approval from the state and city, the museum plans to reopen September 9 after being closed for the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Lucky Duck Is Nesting on the Metropolitan Museum Roof

The museum is asking for help naming the newly arrived duck on Instagram, encouraging art-related suggestions.

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